Headwear piece with improved ornamentation

ABSTRACT

A headwear piece having a crown and a rim/bill projecting angularly away from the crown. The crown and rim/bill each has a plurality of components that are maintained together by visible stitching. The outside surface of the crown has an area, with a substantial portion of that area having a first color. A substantial portion of the area of at least one of upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces on the rim/bill has a second color that contrasts with the first color. At least a part of the visible stitching on the crown has substantially the second color. At least a part of the visible stitching on the rim/bill has substantially the first color.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to headwear and, more particularly, to a headwear piece having a crown and a rim/bill projecting angularly away from a surface of the crown.

2. Background Art

The headwear industry is becoming increasingly competitive. One product for which this is particularly the case is the baseball-style cap. Whereas the baseball-style cap was once primarily an article worn by athletes, it has now become an exceptionally high volume product worn daily by all age groups in myriad environments and used also by marketers for promoting products, services, activities, teams, etc.

The popularity of the baseball-style cap and extreme competition for sales thereof have prompted designers to continuously seek out new ways to present their products to distinguish products from competitors and also to make them appealing to a wider consumer base. While the quality and construction of the base components dictate popularity of many manufacturers' goods, the particular design the manufacturer employs may be a compelling reason to select one product over another.

The nature of the ornamentation on the baseball-style cap is particularly important with respect to products sold in association with academic institutions and sports teams. Typically, academic institutions and sports teams have a logo or logos, together with colors that are representative of that entity. The popularity of a particular piece of headwear is commonly dictated by the manner in which the logos and colors are presented upon the headwear.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one form, the invention is directed to a headwear piece having a crown and rim/bill. The crown has a wall with an inside surface, extending around an opening that receives a wearer's head, and an outside surface. The rim/bill projects angularly away from the outside surface of the crown and extends at least partially around the crown. The rim/bill has exposed upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces. The crown has a plurality of components that are maintained together by stitching that is visible at the outside surface of the crown. The rim/bill has a plurality of components that are maintained together by stitching that is visible at at least one of the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces. The outside surface of the crown has an area with a substantial portion of the area of the outside surface of the crown having a first color. The upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces of the rim/bill each has an area. A substantial portion of the area of at least one of the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces of the rim/bill has a second color that contrasts with the first color. At least a part of the visible stitching on the crown has substantially the second color. At least a part of the visible stitching on the rim/bill has substantially the first color.

In one form, the headwear piece is a baseball-style cap.

In one form, the majority of the area of the at least one of the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces of the rim/bill has the second color.

In another form, substantially all of the area of the at least one of the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces of the rim/bill has the second color.

In one form, at least the majority of the area of the outside surface of the crown has the first color.

In another form, substantially all of the area of the outside surface of the crown has the first color.

In one form, the first and second colors are associated with one of an institution and an athletic team.

A logo associated with the one of the institution and athletic teams may be provided on at least one of the crown and rim/bill.

The inside surface of the crown may extend continuously through 360° around the head of the wearer.

Alternatively, the inside surface of the crown extends only partially around the head of the wearer.

The crown wall may define an inverted cup shape.

In another form, the crown has a top and bottom and the crown has an opening at the top of the crown through which a substantial portion of a wearer's head is exposed.

In one form, the part of the visible stitching on the crown extends continuously for at least two inches.

The part of the visible stitching on the crown may define a plurality of lines of stitching.

In one form, a majority of the visible stitching on the crown has the second color. In a further form, substantially all of the visible stitching in the crown has the second color.

In one form, the part of the visible stitching on the rim/bill extends continuously for at least two inches.

The part of the visible stitching on the rim/bill may be defined by a plurality of lines of stitching.

In one form, at least the majority of the visible stitching on the rim/bill has the second color.

All of the visible stitching on the rim/bill may have the second color.

In one form, the crown has at least one grommet with an edge on which stitching is formed, and the stitching on the edge of the grommet has substantially the second color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a headwear piece, in the form of a baseball-style cap, made in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the headwear piece in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the headwear piece in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of headwear piece, according to the present invention, with a rim extending continuously around a crown;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of another form of headwear piece, according to the present invention, similar to the headwear piece in FIG. 1, but with an open crown at the top region thereof;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a further modified form of headwear piece, similar to that in FIG. 5, wherein the crown does not extend continuously around a wearer's head; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, elevation view, of a portion of the headwear pieces of the type shown in FIGS. 1-6, and having stitching thereon according to the present invention in a random configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In FIGS. 1-3, one form of headwear piece, according to the present invention, is shown at 10. The headwear piece 10 consists of a crown 12 having a wall 14 with an inside surface 16 extending around an opening 18 that receives a wearer's head with the headwear piece 10 in an operative position thereon. The wall 14 has an exposed outside surface 20. The headwear piece 10 further has a rim/bill 22 projecting angularly away from the outside surface 20 of the crown 12. The headwear piece 10 is in the form of a “baseball-style cap”, wherein the rim/bill 22 extends only partially around the crown 12. The rim/bill 22 has exposed upwardly facing and downwardly facing surfaces 24, 26, respectively.

Each of the crown 12 and rim/bill 22 is typically made up of a plurality of components. The number of components making up each of the crown 12 and rim/bill 22 may vary from one design to the next. The invention is not limited to any specific construction for the crown 12 or rim/bill 22. However, an important aspect of the invention is that there is stitching through each of the crown 12 and rim/bill 22, preferably to hold components thereon together and/or to maintain the crown 12 and rim/bill 22 together.

In the embodiment shown, the crown 12 is made from a plurality of, and in this case six, gores 28. The gores 28 are substantially triangularly-shaped and are joined, edge-to-edge, to cooperatively produce a cup-shaped configuration for the crown 12. The edges of adjacent gores 28 are actually folded to produce a neat seam 30 between adjacent gores 28. Separate lines of stitching 32, 34 are defined by thread 36 on opposite sides of each seam 30. The thread 36 extends through the gores 28 and backing layer strips 38 on the inside of the crown 12.

The rim/bill 22 is likewise normally made from a plurality of components that are maintained together by stitching. In the embodiment shown, the rim/bill 22 consists of at least a top layer 40, defining the exposed upwardly facing surface 24, and a bottom layer 42, defining the exposed, downwardly facing surface 26. A core layer (not shown) may be sandwiched between the layers 40, 42. The layers 40, 42 are maintained together by lines of stitching 44 extending in a generally “U” shape, generally conforming to the curved peripheral edge 46. In this embodiment, eight such “U”-shaped lines of stitching 44 are shown at A-H in FIG. 1. The lines of stitching 44 generally appear as nested “U's” opening in a rearward direction. The precise number of lines of stitching, and their shapes is not critical to the present invention.

An additional line of stitching 48 extends around the crown wall 14 and serves to unite the rim/bill 22 and crown 12 where these components abut at the front region of the headwear piece 10 and potentially other components on the crown 12.

The lines of stitching 32, 34, 48 are exposed at the outside surface 20 of the crown 12. The lines of stitching 44 are exposed at both the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces 24, 26 of the rim/bill 22.

According to the invention, the color of the exposed surfaces 20 and 24, 26, respectively on the crown 12 and rim/bill 22, and the thread 36 in the various lines of stitching 32, 34, 44, 48 are coordinated to produce a unique visual effect that creates a blending perception of the coloration of the crown 12 and rim/bill 22.

More particularly, a substantial portion of the area of the outside surface 20 of the crown 12 has a first color. A substantial portion of the area of at least one of the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces 24, 26 of the rim/bill 22 has a second color that contrasts with the first color. “Contrasts”, as used herein, is intended to mean that the colors are clearly different and distinguishable. It is preferred, but not required, that the first and second colors be different colors, rather than different shades of the same color. At least a part of the visible stitching 32, 34, 48 on the crown 12 has substantially the second color. At least a part of the visible stitching 44 on the rim/bill 22 has substantially the first color. As noted above, this combination of coloring exploits the contrasting first and second colors while at the same time blending the coloration of the crown 12 and rim/bill 22.

As noted above, a substantial portion of the area of at least one of the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces 24, 26 of the rim/bill 22 has the second color to produce the unique visual effect. Preferably the upwardly facing surface 24 has the second color. The second color may be provided on at least the majority of the area of the at least one of the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces 24, 26 of the rim/bill 22. Alternatively, substantially all of the exposed area of the at least one of the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces 24, 26 of the rim/bill 22 may have the second color.

Similarly, a substantial portion of the area of the outside surface 20 of the crown 12 has the first color. At least the majority, and potentially substantially all, of the area of the outside surface 20 of the crown 12 may have the first color.

The first and second colors may be associated with an institution and/or an athletic team. Alternatively, the colors may have no significance in combination other than visual appeal.

To produce the unique visual effect, it is important that there be a substantial amount of visible thread 36 on each of the crown 12 and rim/bill 22. Since the blending of colors will occur where the crown 12 and rim/bill 22 are joined, it is preferred that a substantial length of at least one of the lines of stitching 32, 34 at each seam 30 has the first color. As just one example, the thread 36 may have the first color over a continuous run of several inches on the stitching on either of the lines of stitching 32, 34. More preferably, both of the lines of stitching 32, 34 are made from the thread 36 having the first color.

More preferably, a majority of the thread 36 defining the visible stitching on the crown 12 has the second color. To produce the most dominant visual effect, substantially all of the exposed stitching on the crown at the seams 30 has the second color.

Additionally, some or all of the thread 36 in the line of stitching 48 has the second color. Preferably, a majority, and more preferably all, of the thread 36 in the line of stitching 48 has the second color.

Similarly, a substantial portion of the thread 36 defining the stitching 44 on the rim/bill 22 has the first color. A majority of the thread 36 defining the stitching 44 may have the first color. In one form, substantially all of the visible stitching on the rim/bill 22, on at least one of the exposed surfaces 24, 26, has the first color. As just one example, a substantial portion of the stitching 44 on the rim/bill 22 may be several running inches of thread 36 in each line 44.

To add another dimension to the appearance of the headwear piece 10, thread 36 may be stitched at the edges 50 of a plurality of grommets 52 which may be formed in one or all of the gores 28. The thread 36 at the edges 50 preferably has substantially the second color.

To still further enhance the appearance of the headwear piece 10, a logo, shown generically at 53, may be provided on the crown 12, or alternatively on the rim/bill 22. The logo 52 may be applied as a self-contained patch or formed by stitching, preferably using thread that has the first or second colors, or a color that is complementary thereto.

Other information, as shown generically at 54, may be applied on the crown 12 or rim/bill 22 as desired to convey more specific information to an observer. The information 54 may likewise be applied in a manner to be coordinated into the color scheme, as described above. That is, the information 54 may be made with a patch that is applied through thread that may be colored, or formed in whole or in part by thread that is colored to be consistent with the scheme described above.

The inventive concept is not limited to use on a baseball-style cap. In FIG. 4, a headwear piece is shown at 10′ having a crown 12′ with a rim 22′ extending continuously around the crown 12′. Lines of stitching 44′, 48′ are provided on the rim/bill 22′ and crown 12′ respectively. The stitching 44′,48′ may be used to unite components on the rim 22′ and crown 12′ and/or to join the rim 22′ and crown 12′ to each other. Stitching can be provided elsewhere for purposes of joining components and/or to contribute to the overall aesthetics. As an example, a further line of stitching 56 is provided at the top of the crown 12′.

An alternative form of headwear piece is shown at 10″ in FIG. 5 and consists of a crown 12″ that extends continuously around an opening 18″. A rim/bill 22″ projects angularly away from an outside surface 20″ on the crown 12″. The crown 12″ has a top opening 58 through which a wearer's head is exposed with the headwear piece 10″ operatively positioned thereon.

In this embodiment, the color of the stitching 44″ on the rim/bill 22″ and the stitching 48″ on the crown 12″ is coordinated with the color of the rim/bill 22″ and crown 12″, as described above. Additional stitching 56″ may be provided to join additional components on the crown 12″ or strictly for purposes of aesthetics and is color coordinated as described above.

In FIG. 6, a further modified form of headwear piece is shown at 10′″ that is similar to the headwear piece 10″ , with the exception that an inside surface 16′″on the crown 12′″ does not extend continuously through 360° around the head of a wearer, as does a corresponding surface 16″ on the headwear piece 10″ in FIG. 5. The headwear piece 10′″ uses the color coordination between the crown surface 20′″ and the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces 24′″, 26′″ on the rim/bill 22′″, as well as coordination of the coloring of the thread 36 on the stitching 44′″ on the rim/bill 22′″ and the stitching 48′″ and 56′″ on the crown 12′″.

As noted above, and as shown generically in FIG. 7, the invention contemplates that other stitching, shown at 56″″, may be provided anywhere on the headwear pieces 10, 10′, 10″, 10′″ for purposes of aesthetics and/or to maintain components together. The thread 36 in the stitching 56″″ can take any shape.

The invention also contemplates other variations from the basic structure described above. As one example, rather than having the crowns or rims/bills formed as separate components, one or both of the same may be made from one component with stitching therein that is located consistently with a conventional construction utilizing multiple components. That is, the stitching lines actually become non-functional in nature and are provided for purposes of aesthetics.

Additionally, more than two colors can be coordinated and incorporated into the headwear construction.

The foregoing disclosure of specific embodiments is intended to be illustrative of the broad concepts comprehended by the invention. 

1. A headwear piece comprising: a crown having a wall with a) an inside surface extending around an opening that receives a wearer's head and b) an outside surface; and a rim/bill projecting angularly away from the outside surface of the crown and extending at least partially around the crown, the rim/bill having exposed upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces, the crown comprising a plurality of components that are maintained together by stitching that is visible at the outside surface of the crown, the rim/bill comprising a plurality of components that are maintained together by stitching that is visible at least one of the upwardly and downwardly facing surface, the outside surface of the crown having an area, with a substantial portion of the area of the outside surface of the crown having a first color, the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces of the rim/bill each having an area, a substantial portion of the area of at least one of the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces of the rim/bill having a second color that contrasts with the first color, wherein at least a part of the visible stitching on the crown has substantially the second color, wherein at least a part of the visible stitching on the rim/bill has substantially the first color.
 2. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein the headwear piece comprises a baseball-style cap.
 3. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein at least a majority of the area of the at least one of the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces of the rim/bill has the second color.
 4. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein substantially all of the area of the at least one of the upwardly and downwardly facing surfaces of the rim/bill has the second color.
 5. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein at least a majority of the area of the outside surface of the crown has the first color.
 6. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein substantially all of the area of the outside surface of the crown has the first color.
 7. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein the first and second colors are both associated with one of an institution and an athletic team.
 8. The headwear piece according to claim 7 wherein a logo associated with the one of the institution and athletic team is provided on at least one of the crown and rim/bill.
 9. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein the inside surface of the crown extends continuously through 360° around the head of a wearer.
 10. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein the inside surface of the crown extends only partially around the head of a wearer.
 11. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein the crown wall defines an inverted cup shape.
 12. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein the crown has a top and bottom and the crown has an opening at the top of the crown through which a substantial portion of a wearer's head is exposed.
 13. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein the part of the visible stitching on the crown extends continuously for at least two inches.
 14. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein the part of the visible stitching on the crown comprises a plurality of lines of stitching.
 15. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein at least a majority of the visible stitching on the crown has the second color.
 16. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein substantially all of the visible stitching on the crown has the second color.
 17. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein the part of the visible stitching on the rim/bill extends continuously for at least two inches.
 18. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein the part of the visible stitching on the crown comprises a plurality of lines of stitching.
 19. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein at least a majority of the visible stitching on the crown has the second color.
 20. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein substantially all of the visible stitching on the crown has the second color.
 21. The headwear piece according to claim 1 wherein the crown has at least one grommet with an edge on which stitching is formed and the stitching on the edge of the grommet has substantially the second color. 